Kim Sajet, who in June stepped down as the longtime director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery after President Trump announced he was firing her, will become the next director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, the institution announced on Wednesday.
“I’ve been doing American art and history for over two decades,” Sajet, 59, said in a telephone interview. “I was really excited to go to an international collection.”
Ms. Sajet — who replaces Marcelle Polednik and starts Sept. 22 — cited the museum’s encyclopedic holdings, which include early antiquities, decorative art and sculpture. And she noted that the Bradley Collection — a gift of about 400 works by 20th-century masters like Picasso, Braque, Kandinsky and Giacometti — is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an exhibition that runs through Jan. 19.
Andy Nunemaker, the museum’s chairman, said in a phone interview that Ms. Sajet had been an easy choice, given the board’s interest in finding a leader “who had been in the hot seat,” was fiscally responsible and could be part of the Milwaukee community. “We knew this was a unicorn,” he said, “everything we were looking for in a director.”
Mr. Nunemaker added that his board was not concerned about Ms. Sajet’s having recently become a lightning rod. “Kim championing accessibility is directly in line with what we believe in,” he said. “Sometimes people use these words and they weaponize them. We want our audiences, patrons and donors to be more diverse. So it was a perfect match.”
Mr. Trump, in a social media post in May, called Ms. Sajet “a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position.”
The White House also created a list of grievances that it suggested made Ms. Sajet an inappropriate choice to lead a national museum, including public comments about racial and gender inequality in America.
The Smithsonian, which has long operated as independent of the executive branch, asserted in response that it retains legal authority over personnel, including Ms. Sajet. But she decided to step down anyway, saying that it was in the best interests of the institution.
The White House subsequently announced a comprehensive review of Smithsonian museums’ exhibition content with a 120-day deadline for changes.
In the phone interview, Ms. Sajet said she was not bitter about her departure, nor regretful about her efforts to make the National Portrait Gallery more inclusive.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been guided by the belief that knowledge is better than ignorance,” she said. “Cultural diversity makes for a stronger nation, and democracy thrives when people engage with each other with mutual respect.”
Robin Pogrebin, who has been a reporter for The Times for 30 years, covers arts and culture.
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